Family updates

Many ask or email so here's an update for all who read this: (For some this may be familiar as I am being lazy and copying an email I recently sent)

For those who read on facebook....I am feeling better and I DO NOT WANT STREP THROAT AGAIN! EVER!!!!

Now for the update since our MUSC trip on June 8:

Charleston went well.

Tori: Tori doesn't have to return to the allergist for 3 months. She's also now on 2 allergy meds instead of one, but the second is just as needed. (***Note new info below about her current diagnosis as of 6-17).

Bradley: Bradley on the other hand is on another regimen, with some topical meds we've used in the past that seemed to start working, but then the dermatologist disagree with the allergist prescribing it so no refills were allowed (that's when we were dealing with Dr. Perrick (allergist here) and Dr. Grice).

We have to do a bleach bath once a week to keep the bacteria on the skin under control. Basically we all have bacteria on our skin and we all have the staph bacteria it just doesn't usually lead to problems like what Bradley has. With eczema patients they're more prone to staph infections. So since he has another infection that means we are once again on an antibiotic. We go back June 29 and July 2 for Bradley. The 29th they will place a tape like substance on his back for a skin patch test to see if his skin itself has an allergic type reaction to certain things that could be ingredients in the topical meds and lotions. The 2nd is to read the test. Between the 29 and 2....no swimming, baths, showers....just a sponge bath as necessary.

He's now only on Benadryl for allergies so we'll see how that works.

Since the only doctor I was able to find that had the narrowband UVB equipment refuses to treat a 3 year old, we are now looking at possibly an oral medication: Methotrexate. This was the route I wanted to avoid because as with all meds there are risk factors and the risks and benefits have to be carefully weighed. With light therapy there was only the possibility of skin cancer later in life. With Methotrexate there are many more known side effects....liver or kidney failure, bone marrow problems, to name a few. Dr. Ward who we first saw at MUSC didn't want to go this route because of side effects and felt light therapy would be much better. Dr. Kearse who we saw this week and who is specialized in pediatric dermatology brought up light therapy but once I explained the situation he brought up the probable need for methotrexate. He makes the risks sound very minimal. I don't know. All I know to do is pray on it. I've read research reports to the good as well as the bad about this particular treatment plan.

Mark:

Mark's doing well since surgery. He's been back at work for a few weeks now and is scheduled to have a colonoscopy later this summer. Also having a difficult time because Meadow is at her new temporary home until she is adopted. (And Bradley asks about Meadow daily....he told Mark he was going to be a dog and cat doctor when he grows up and go get Meadow back because he loves Meadow.)

Newest about Tori (June 17):

The early comment was on how well Tori is doing and for the most part that has been true. The past few days her feet have been breaking out and yesterday while I could hardly move I could hear how miserable she sounded during the day. Today my mother in law called me in to see Tori's feet after Tori's nap...now mind you I knew they were breaking out based on last night and this morning. After nap they were BAD. Oozing blisters, etc. I knew she had an infection and there was no way I would make her wait until Monday when she sees the dermatologist. And thank God we didn't. Tori's diagnosis is eczema herpeticum. Rare for her age so Dr. Thomas went to double check to make sure because she's only seen it in older patients. With treatment things should work out fine, but if it had been left to chance things could've turned bad. I'm posting pics below so if you are sensitive to sights STOP now. Close the window. DO NOT scroll down. I post pics because I have family in various places who want to be part of Bradley and Tori's lives....even the hard to see parts. And also to let those in our lifes know/see how serious things are when I say either child has an infection. So for now Bradley's on antibiotics for staph (skin), Tori on antiviral for eczema herpeticum, and antibiotics for me for strep. So...anyone want to visit anytime soon? LOL! Hey, gotta find humor otherwise I may go crazy.

Looks worse in person, but these are the clearest pics I could get with a wiggly 13 month old....imagine trying to walk with these blisters covering both your feet. Blisters are between toes, backs of legs, inside of knees, many have burst open so you don't see the raised blisters they were. Also, eczema herpeticum can mimic impetigo (which Tori had about 6 weeks ago) so always get blisters in clusters checked out.